Saturday, December 3, 2011

Captain Hook and Peter Pan

Yet Tiger Lily looked calm and impassive. She was the daughter of an Indian chief, too proud to offer a vain resistance, ready to die a fearless death, as befits the daughter of a chief.

Determined to save her, Peter thought of a clever trick. Imitating the wicked Captain's voice he called out: "Cut her bonds and let her go!"

"But, Captain —"

"At once, do you hear," cried Peter, "or I'll plunge my hook in you."

"Better do what the Captain orders," said Starkey nervously.

The effect was marvelous; the astonished buccaneers, fearing to disobey their Captain, released Tiger Lily, who leaped into the water and swam towards the Boys.

The Pirates had turned and were rowing back, when they saw Hook swimming towards them, and learned from him how they had been duped. Horribly enraged, he chased them out of the boat, leaving them to swim back to the ship as best they might, while he himself set about recapturing Tiger Lily.

But the Pirates once safely out of the way, Peter and his friends went back to the rock to attack the Captain, who was now single-handed. A fierce fight ensued, Hook using his iron prong to some purpose on poor Peter, while the Boys, seizing Hook's boat, rowed off with Tiger Lily in it. At last, finding himself outdone, the Captain gave up the fight, and in all haste swam back to his ship.

Peter, left alone on the rock with Wendy, found her so exhausted that she could neither swim nor fly any farther. A mermaid caught Wendy by the feet and began pulling her gently into the water. But Peter, feeling her slip, was just in time to draw her back. With difficulty he managed to help her to a firm footing, but the tide was rising, and they were both in great danger. As he watched the water silently creeping nearer, Peter almost despaired, for Hook had wounded him in the fight, and he could neither fly nor swim.

This Image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired. This applies to the United States, where Works published prior to 1923 are copyright protected for a maximum of 75 years. See Circular 1 "COPYRIGHT BASICS" PDF from the U.S. Copyright Office. Works published before 1923, in this case 1916, are now in the public domain.

This inage however MAY NOT be in the public domain in countries that figure copyright from the date of death of the artist (post mortem auctoris), in this case Alice Bolingbroke Woodward, (1862–1951), and that most commonly runs for a period of 50 to 70 years from that date. It may be copyrighted in jurisdictions that do not apply the rule of the shorter term for US works. If your use will be outside the United States please check your local law.

PETER PAN THE BOY WHO WOULD NEVER GROW UP TO BE A MAN. RETOLD FROM SIR JAMES M BARRIE'S FAMOUS PLAY. EDITED AND ARRANGED BY: FREDERICK ORVILLE PERKINS EDITOR OF "THE BLUE BIRD," ETC. WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY: ALICE B. WOODWARD